Refreshing dots with affliction - Question

Sup guys, im wondering if you get more DPS if you refresh your dots via Fel Flame, since it refresh both Corruption and Unstable Affliction at same time, like less time refreshing dots because would be 2 (maybe 3 for 2 fel flames) GCD to refresh Corruption, Unstable Affliction and Agony.

The only reason you would want to refresh your dots using Fel Flame is when those dots are applied during a buff phase, such as with procced (or used) trinkets, using a potion to increase spell power, etc. Essentially, you would be mainting those dots because they were cast at a higher level than your base. Otherwise, keep applying new dots.

Huh? They do not maintain their buffed version (assuming application w/trinkets, potions, procs) after the buff wears off unless Blizz changed that function with MoP after taking it out eons ago. The only time you'd use FF is when you're moving. Manually recasting is still the better route and keeping Agony at 10 stacks, too.

Huh? They do not maintain their buffed version (assuming application w/trinkets, potions, procs) after the buff wears off unless Blizz changed that function with MoP after taking it out eons ago. The only time you'd use FF is when you're moving. Manually recasting is still the better route and keeping Agony at 10 stacks, too.

The above posters have posted what used to be the truth, but they didnt provide any data or sims to back it up. Simple napkin math shows that the difference in dps (at least at 85) can be negligable, or even benefitial to you depending on how you use it, if you use fel flame.

To illustrate I can give a simple example. With ALL OTHER THINGS EQUAL, the following things hold true..

At non-buffed moderate spellpower level on a non-debuffed target, malefic grasp does damage in the order of 40k, while fel flame does damage in the order of 8k non-crit.

2.25 * 40 = 90k. 8 * 12 = 96k. Add to that crits for the fel flame.

In addition to that, fel flame refresh is alot more lenient at timing, at when you refresh with that 72 sec. As for example, you can boost 3 fel flames in a row, and then have 18+ sec of consistent dots, allowing you to cast haunt with 3 consecutive buffed malefic grasps after. In addition, you get alot more mobility, with only malefic grasp and haunt requiring you to stand still. Another benefit is that you only have to concentrate on two of the three buffs, UA and ofc Agony, as corruption with its longer duration always will be active if you keep UA up with fel flame.

Compare that with refreshing the dots manually require precise timing at the end of their duration. That said, things will change a bit when we hit 90, alot due to the pandemic talent, making manual refreshes more easy to time with your haunts etc.

I'm not here to destroy the world of all warlocks as they know it, I just want you to take more lightly on absolute truths as 'Manually recasting is still better'. Time will tell how things will change, so my suggestion is to find your own rotation that works. But remember, regardless of sp-coefficients, the above TIMINGS will hold.

But regardless how you choose to cast, we can all agree that maintaining all dots is priority 1.

We can all agree on that you want to have as many malefic grasp ticks as possible during haunts. Therefore you want as little dot-refresh casts as possible during Haunts.

I suspect that fel flame will be excellent in providing you with enough time to get haunt + 3 malefic grasps, with all your dots up. Then you can use the pandemic talent, for manual recasts after that haunt period. I'll probably adopt my cast sequence to something like that, that is depending on the situation.

Note though, if you use the glyph of everlasting affliction, then its alot more benefitial to manually refresh the dots, compared to the above calculation.